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Saturday, April 14, 2018

Investigators from the Prince George's County Office of the Fire Marshal are working to determine the cause of a fire that appears to have claimed the life of a Chillum resident. At around 7:45 am, Saturday, April 14, firefighters were alerted to a 911 report of smoke coming from a house. A neighbor across the street called 911 after they saw smoke coming from the front window and alerted the call taker that they did not know if the person that lived there was still inside or not.

Firefighters arrived at a 2-story, split level, single family home in the 1400 block of Ray Road and confirmed a working fire. Firefighters quickly extinguished the fire and located the occupant deceased in the same general area.

The deceased is believed to be the homes lone occupant, an adult female in her 70's. The home had a working smoke alarm, however, there was only one and it was located in the lower level of the house. This alarm was not in a position to immediately detect smoke on the upper floors and provide the early warning to the occupant of the fire.

The cause of the fire is under investigation, however, nothing suspicious has been found. Positive identification of the deceased and cause of death will be determined the the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner. Fire loss is estimated at $50,000 with an area of origin being the living room on the main level.

Maryland State Law requires homes to have a 10-year, tamper proof, smoke alarm on every level of your home. Residents that can not afford to purchase a 10-year smoke alarm themselves can call 311 and request an alarm to be installed in their home by a firefighter at no charge.

LODD April 15, 2016

Fire Fighter/Medic Lieutenant John "Skillet" Ulmschneider

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Tragically firefighters will find pets that have been injured in home fires. Sometimes owners are not availiable to bring their pet to a emergency vet or may not have the resources to afford medical care. The Prince George's County Fire/EMS Department and the Anne Arundel County SPCA have teamed up and created a fund whereas medical care for the pet would be covered in part or in full.
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